You must cite all information used in your paper
, whenever and wherever you use it. When citing sources in the body of your paper, list the author's last name only (no initials) and the year the information was published, like this: (Dodge, 2008).
Should I cite sources in a college application essay?
For convenience in a personal essay,
it is acceptable to cite sources
—especially if you use just one or two—in numbered footnote form at the bottom of the page. However, if you have more than a few sources, a separate section entitled “References” at the end of the essay is best.
Do I cite sources in a college application essay?
The citation writing style of the college application essay is the same as other essays. By citation, you can also avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to the original author or authors. The
sources you cite depends on your academic style
, and you must know the style requirements when you compile your citations.
What should be included in a college application essay?
- Write about yourself. …
- Focus on one facet of yourself. …
- Tell a good story. …
- Keep it real. …
- Present yourself in the best light. …
- Include information not elsewhere in your application. …
- Leverage your native culture, traditions, and experiences.
How should I cite my sources in college?
For example, when citing a work written by a single author, include the idea or quote and then follow it with the author's last name and the year of publication in parentheses. If a source has two authors,
list both names in every citation
, connected with an ampersand and in parenthesis.
Do you have to cite the source if you rewrite the sentence in your own words?
Paraphrasing is the rewriting of an author's idea in your own words. Paraphrase rather than quote when you want to present an author's idea but the exact language is not significant.
When you paraphrase, you must cite the source
. You also must fully rewrite the original language and original sentence structure.
How do you source an essay?
The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).
Do colleges really read essays?
Usually one to two admissions officers read an essay.
Some colleges do not look at essays
. Some colleges will choose only to look at your GPA, Course Rigor and SAT/ACT scores. If you GPA and Test Scores are high enough, they may not feel that and essay is necessary.
How do you start a college essay example?
- Try starting with a question.
- Begin with a bold statement.
- Use an interesting quote.
- Put the reader in medias res, that is, in the middle of things. …
- Challenge the reader by speaking directly to him/her.
- Tell the reader what you do NOT want to do in your writing.
How do you start off a college essay?
- Try starting with a question.
- Begin with a bold statement.
- Use an interesting quote.
- Put the reader in medias res, that is, in the middle of things. …
- Challenge the reader by speaking directly to him/her.
- Tell the reader what you do NOT want to do in your writing.
What is the best way to reference sources?
The best way to avoid plagiarism is
to cite your sources
. In-text citations are placed within the body of your paper near the information being quoted or paraphrased. Complete bibliographic citations are listed at the end of your paper as references or works cited.
What is the best way to cite sources?
- Include In-text or Parenthetical Citations When Paraphrasing. …
- Periods (Almost) Always Go After the Parenthesis. …
- Be Consistent with Your Citation Style. …
- All In-text and Parenthetical Citations Should Correspond with a Reference List Entry. …
- Cite Properly, Not in Excess.
How do you properly cite?
APA in-text citation style uses
the author's last name and the year of publication
, for example: (Field, 2005). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Field, 2005, p. 14).
Can you plagiarize even if you cite the source?
If you've properly paraphrased or
quoted and correctly cited the source, you are not committing plagiarism
. However, the word correctly is vital. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must adhere to the guidelines of your citation style (e.g. APA or MLA).
Is it okay to copy and paste if you cite?
Anytime you copy and paste verbatim from a source and do not give the source
credit it is plagiarism
. If you do copy and paste a passage word for word, you must put the information in quotations (i.e. ” “) marks and give credit to the author. This is called a direct quote.
What information does not need to be cited?
Common knowledge
does not need to be cited. Common knowledge includes facts that are known by a lot of people and can be found in many sources. For example, you do not need to cite the following: Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States.
